1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic messaging, and more particularly, to mechanisms for electronic message addressing in which the address of a given recipient depends on the source of the electronic message.
2. Related Technology
Computing technology has transformed the way we work and play. Modern computer networking technologies and infrastructures allow for different applications and users to communicate data electronically even over vast distances relatively quickly using readily-available computing systems. Such computing systems may include, for example, desktop computers, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), digital telephones, or the like.
Currently, computing systems are so interconnected that one computing system is literally capable of communicating with any one of many millions of other computing systems spread throughout the globe. Electronic messaging is a process whereby one computing system communicates with another whether the message be an e-mail message, an instant message, a Short-text Messaging Service (SMS) message, or any other electronic message.
One problem with the large degree of connectivity that modern networking technology affords is that almost anyone can send an electronic message to anyone else, so long as the recipients each have access to an addressable computing system. Unfortunately, however, some of the electronic messages are unwanted. Such electronic messages are often referred to as “spam”. For example, sometimes one can receive unsolicited electronic messages in the form of advertisement of product the recipient is not interested in.
There are conventional methods for sending out mass quantities of spam. Accordingly, the use of electronic messaging is tainted since one often finds an in-box full of unwanted spam. It can be quite difficult to differentiate between spam and legitimate electronic messages since the subject line is often designed to appear legitimate such as “Re: in response to your query regarding your credit line”, when, in fact, you did not issue any query and the spam contains an unsolicited and unwanted advertisement for a home equity loan. Unwanted electronic mail may even dominate over desired electronic messages in a typical user's in-box.
One fact that enables spamming is that individuals and entities who are highly motivated to generate and issue large quantities of spam often gain knowledge of a given user's electronic mail address. One can often avoid spamming by simply refusing to give out e-mail addresses. However, sometimes it is necessary to give out one's e-mail address. For example, perhaps one wants to subscribe to notifications of events of great interest to the user. Without giving out a legitimate electronic mail address, such desired notifications would never be received.
Even after giving out an electronic message address in order to receive notifications, one may thereafter lose interest in such notifications. Furthermore, the entity to whom the recipient subscribed may abuse the trust of the recipient by sending notifications or advertisement unrelated to the topic of interest to the user. Also, the entity may sell the electronic message address to others.
The problem of spam is so pervasive and intrusive, that some users have an electronic mail address that they give out publicly when subscribing to web sites or the like, while reserving another private electronic mail address that they only give out to trusted friends, family, or work associates. However, often who one trusts may dynamically change over time. For example, perhaps someone who has access to the private electronic mail address starts harassing or subscribes to a web site using the recipient's electronic mail address. Also, perhaps a web site becomes trusted to the recipient even though they were originally only provided with the public electronic mail address.
Accordingly, there is a need for a given recipient to control who is permitted to send electronic mail to the given recipient. The recipient may always unsubscribe from a web site that is sending spam. However, sometimes web sites do not respond to the unsubscribe request, and may even use the unsubscribe information to further harass the recipient. Furthermore, the web site may have already distributed the electronic mail address to others, leaving it to the recipient to figure out a way to stop unwanted electronic mail from those others sources as well.
Another problem with giving out an electronic mail address is that often behaviors and characteristics of the owner of the electronic mail address may be correlated through collaborative efforts of all those having knowledge of the electronic mail address. This owner of the electronic mail address may desire to keep his behavior and characteristics private.
Accordingly, mechanisms are desired that allow users more control over who is permitted to send electronic mail to the user, and that may allow electronic messaging without giving away information regarding the user.